Counterattack

Actor Russell Crowe appears to have firmly nailed his colours to the mast ahead of Saturday's transtasman World Cup semifinal.

Auckland-born Crowe was pictured on Australian television wearing an All Black jersey while playing a game of touch rugby with cast and crew members of his new nautical movie, Master and Commander.

The game took place ahead of the movie premiere in San Diego, California, so it is not known if the Oscar-winner will be at Telstra Stadium in Sydney for the sudden-death clash.

Locals say there have been no sightings of him in or around "Camp Wallaby" at Coffs Harbour on the northern New South Wales coast - a short jaunt from his home, 23km inland at Nana Glen.

Crowe is a fan of the South Sydney league club but has previously said his rugby allegiance is with New Zealand.

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Some words of wisdom - aimed at England's fans - from the Independent's James Lawton.

In comparing Jonny Wilkinson's inept performance against Wales with David Beckham's lukewarm display at the soccer World Cup last year, he writes: "What we may have is a tendency to build our heroes too quickly, mistake evidence of certain skills for greatness rather than the mere potential to have an impact on the world stage at its highest level.

"We get ahead of ourselves and take our heroes with us, and when they do not deliver on cue we get upset with them more than we do with ourselves. You cannot anticipate greatness. You have to wait to see if it will unfold."

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Television ratings have started to lift in Australia.

Saturday's Australia-Scotland quarter-final attracted 1.9 million viewers in the mainland capitals.

On Sunday, the England-Wales match attracted 1.2 million viewers across the capitals.

Even Sunday's France-Ireland quarter-final drew 910,000 viewers.

And as a clue that Australians may be checking the form for the weekend's semifinal, Saturday's quarter-final between New Zealand and South Africa attracted 1.4 million viewers.

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England back Austin Healey has returned to Australia. Rugby fans may remember the Leicester player for his outspoken views during the Lions tour of Australia in 2001, when he wrote a column.

Here is a sample from the Guardian in July 2001: "They call me one of the trouble-makers. Matt Dawson and me, the lip machines. Matt says this, I say that; what's going on? Anything we say comes back ...

"What is it with this country? The females and children are fine, and seem to be perfectly normal human beings.

"But what are we going to do with this thing called the Aussie male?"

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